P10M Kalinga Weaving Center atop Belalao Hill in Lubuagan to open in August

Tabuk City, Kalinga - A dream long shared by many iKalinga weavers is finally coming to reality as the Kalinga Weaving Center in Lubuagan is set to open in August 2025. 

Situated atop the Belalao Hill in Mabilong Weaving Village, the center overlooks the scenic mountains of Lubuagan, the weaving capital of Kalinga. 

The building aims to preserve and promote the traditional art of Kalinga weaving, becoming the place where local weavers can display and sell their products to the public, helping them earn more income.

According to the Kalinga Information Office, the P10 million facility was made possible through the support of Senator Loren Legarda, in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCAA). 

Built on the property donated by Engineer Max P. Duguiang III, who also served as the project’s contractor, the weaving center is only the fifth of its kind funded by the national government in the country. 

The realization of the Kalinga Weaving Center is a result of the persistent efforts of an iKalinga weavers’ group (Kalinga Laga Organization), the Kalinga Tourism Office, and the province's current and past officials. 

Representing said organization, Ms. Jasmine Baac proposed and requested the center to Senator Legarda during their meeting in 2023, with the support of Kalinga Tourism Office, headed by Supervising Operations Officer Lorraine Ngao-i, and was later granted by the lawmaker.

The proposal gained strong support from Governor James Edduba, former Congressman Allen Jesse Mangaoang, Congresswoman Caroline Agyao, and Lubuagan Mayor Joel Tagaotao,  Kalinga Tourism

Also credited are the efforts of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, which completed the necessary requirements for the project to push through. 

A fruit of unity 

Talking about the milestone, Governor James Edubba, in an interview, emphasized that the Kalinga Weaving Center is not just an infrastructure project but a symbol of cultural pride and a product of unity.

Edduba expressed gratitude to the local weavers for their efforts in protecting and promoting indigenous heritage. 

“The Kalinga weaving center is more than just the completion of the building; it is a celebration of our identities as iKalingas. Dayta ti produkto nu patuloy tayo agmaymaysa para ti pagsayaatan tayo amin,” added the governor.